A reader that became a friend once asked me, “Clint, are you a Pastor?” the short answer is, “No, I’m not”. If God requires me to become one in the future, so be it but I believe that I best serve the Kingdom in my current capacity. Allow me to explain…
My father is a Pastor. Once, I was traveling in the car with my dad and we saw someone that we knew. The guy was walking and when he saw my father, he put his lit cigarette into his pocket. Now, don’t get me wrong, my dad doesn’t say anything but there’s something about a title that causes people to alter their behavior.
The Title of a Pastor
Titles are molds. When we hear a title, we have a preconceived notion of how that person should carry themselves and how we are to behave in their presence. A pastor simply can not or should not say certain things because they would be stepping out of the confines of the title.
Read: 2 Shocking Reasons For Fleeing Biblical Truths
However, your untitled self is unencumbered. “Pastor Clinton” can’t say certain things but you best believe that Clinton’s going to say what needs to be said.
Have you heard people say that they are going into the ministry? It almost sounds like they’re joining a football team, Salvation F.C. The truth is, you entered the ministry (joined the team) the day you surrendered your life to Christ. We’re all in the ministry.
Pastors go into the world to minister to people but truth be told it’s easier for us to relate to people than they are. A Pastor’s world is the Church, we’re in the actual world.
Pastors are not our teammates
Consider this, if we’re all in the ministry then Pastors are not our teammates, they are our coaches. Think about it, every week Pastors observe the game (life), then study the rules, they look at past plays (scripture) and then they teach you on Sunday. They give us the necessary insight to get on the field and win.
We keep thinking that it’s the Pastors job to minister to people. Have you noticed that spectators never watch the coach? They are watching the game. They are watching us and guess what, they’re not impressed.
Why would they when we’re as real as pro wrestling? They see through it and think we’re full of crap. Why would they want to participate in this meaningless song and dance?
The world needs more Players
The reason why we aren’t influencing people is that we’re pretending to be perfect. It’s okay for them to see you fumble. They need to see your score and see you miss the goal. They need to witness you get tackled hard and get up. Your job is to play with all your heart and soul. That inspires people, not this “look at how holy I am” garbage that we’ve been peddling for years.
It’s hilarious. We’re so obsessed with this image that we hide and do things. Try talking to people about a hit TV show or movie that everyone is raving about. Some people will watch it in secret, they’ll enjoy it but will pretend like they’re too good for all that. When the conversation starts, for a split second their eyes light up and then they pretend like they haven’t seen it. But they’re dying to talk about it.
Yes, the Bible says to be careful of what you see and hear but you’re watching it anyway. You might as well dive into some trivia and speculation. You’ll be surprised, shared interests are the beginning of great friendships. Friendships lead to influence, which can, in turn, lead to a transformed life.
While we’re on this subject, it’s important to be merry at heart. When you’re happy, people are attracted to you. It is okay for Christians to have a sense of humor and have fun. We try to be so “spiritual” that we make everything boring. People liked Jesus, it was the overly religious people that didn’t like him. Think about that for a minute.
Consider this, a Christian without a title can be far more influential simply because we’re easier to relate to. The person doesn’t feel the need to be on their best behavior when you’re around. People don’t need to look at you and think you’re perfect, they need to think it’s possible.
It’s possible to attain the same relationship with God because they see your flaws. They need to watch you play and say,
“Lord if you can work with him, you can work with me. If he can walk with you, so can I.”
Perhaps then when you ask them if they’d like to visit your home ground or meet your coach, they’d be more receptive. If this works for you, despite your flaws, perhaps it will work for them.
We all learn through observation. People aren’t stupid. Don’t be fake, just be real… You don’t need a title, you need to be genuine. Makes sense?
My goal is to emulate Jesus and follow his example but if all else fails, I’ll be like David. A writer, a man after God’s own heart and someone not to be trifled with.
I believe in discussing life in a candid (unfiltered), no holds barred manner that stimulates personal growth.
I spend my spare time creating content that is informative, entertaining and that will help others in their personal development.
The Hustle is a project that focuses on career and purpose.
I also have a cooking vlog called Passing it on which is on Facebook and YouTube.
In matters of faith, I contribute to this ministry.
